


The Nightly Routine

by skellygay



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, Light-Hearted, M/M, Marriage, Married Couple, Married Life, Other, Post-Canon, bickering but like the good playful kind, i had so much fun writing this, they're goals honestly, they're mid-late 40s
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-12 04:28:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skellygay/pseuds/skellygay
Summary: When an adventurer retires after somehow surviving against all odds to live their happy ending there is a new beast they must face, one they have never truly been prepared for.Domesticity.And worse yet.Routines.A snippet of how Mister Mollymauk Tealeaf-Widogast and Mister Caleb Widogast-Tealeaf, retired and happily married adventurers, face these impossible foes.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54
Collections: Widomauk Winter Gift Exchange 2021





	The Nightly Routine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WMitone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WMitone/gifts).



> I loved working on this gift! I hope you enjoy it, you're a genius.

Caleb felt the tail curl around the calf of his crossed leg before the tiefling spoke.

“Mister Widogast-Tealeaf.” The tiefling said as with his right hand he leaned onto the back of Caleb’s armchair. 

“Mister Tealeaf-Widogast.” Caleb replied with a smile, gaze still firmly on the book in his lap, reading by the illumination of the three dancing lights floating to his right. It was little moments like this, with the bright and warm fire drowning out the silence of the night as it crackled in the fireplace and the smell of lavender oil wafting over him, that Caleb gives fate, destiny, and the gods a small thanks for how they organized the universe. That he was in the Nestled Nook Inn at the right moment to meet the love of his life, his family, and to start his journey towards finally feeling worthy of the happy ending, his second chance, all those years ago.

His husband pipes up again, disrupting his line of thought. “Be a dear and tell me the time.” 

Finally pausing in his reading, the wizard looks up to his left as he replies after a pause. “It is 1:42 am, give a minute or two.” He says with the surety he carries each time he recalls the time, yet not entirely sure why he was asked. 

His leg is given a playful swat with the spade of the tiefling’s tail for the answer. “Oh, really now? See here I thought if it was really that late you’d surely be cuddling up to your lovely, lonely, and tired husband in bed.” The tiefling says in a faux-snippy tone. 

Caleb smiles a little wider at his husband’s antics as he agrees. “Ja, schatz.” He knows after a decade with his utter bastard that bickering is part of the tiefling’s love language, that there is never true malice or anger in his words, he merely just enjoys the drama. Something Caleb has not just learned to accept, but love and indulge him in.

Emboldened by the agreement the tiefling looks down his nose at the other and gestures at him open palm with his free hand. “And where are you instead?” He inquires. “Mister Caleb Widogast-Tealeaf.” Each word pronounced like it was its own sentence for added emphasis. 

Eyes filled with mirth; Caleb reaches out with his left hand and presses their palms together, slowly he twists, moving their pressed hands as one, so their fingertips face the roof. Watching as the low light of the fireplace and dancing lights glints off their wedding bands, the highlight shifting with their mirrored movement. His eyes follow the curve of the crescent moon etched into his silver band and then the cross of the four-point sun etched into the golden band of his husband’s. More than one person had questioned their mismatched wedding set, but those who did didn’t know them, personally Caleb thinks they represent them perfectly and wouldn’t have it any other way. The tiefling is his sun, the brightness and joy of his life, blessed to bask in the light of his bright circus man. In turn, his husband had said more than once that while Caleb wasn’t as garish in personality and dress, he was his light in the gloom, the moon that did not forget him in the dark, cold earth.

****

His reverie is broken as his husband gently clears his throat and Caleb once more looks up to reply. “On my way to do that, Mister Mollymauk.” A hint of mischief lacing his tone. 

It earns his leg another swat from Mollymauk’s tail still wrapped loosely around it and a huff from the tiefling. “Really now? Fully dressed. Boots and all. Never knew reading in the study was on the way to spooning me, learn something new every day.” A wide smile on his face as his spade tapped to punctuate each pause, creating an almost pleasant tapping sound against Caleb’s leather boots. 

He does not sink at the mock accusatory words, instead nodding to the book in his lap. “I must admit, I was reminiscing on when we met.” He continues with a slight furrow of his brow at the book. “Although this book is not very accurate. 

Mollymauk leans closer, peering at the open book on his husband’s lap over his shoulder. “They never are, love. Beau said the pen-pushers scraped half her notes in the edits.” He steals a quick kiss from Caleb, aiming for the freckle at the left corner of his lip before mumbling into his jaw. “Come reminisce in bed, I promise it’ll be much more accurate.” 

One by one the dancing lights die out as Caleb puffs out a laugh through his nose and closes his eyes. “So, we will be inviting Veth and Fjord over and sleeping in separate rooms?” he says teasingly. 

Mollymauk snorts in reply, his face still pressed against Caleb’s. “I was thinking more wedding night than first night, but if you insist.” Slowly he intertwines their fingers and stands back up straight. 

With his free hand Caleb closes the book and holds it. “As always, you are filled with brilliant ideas, liebling.” He says as he opens his eyes to stare up at Mollymauk, his husband, his sun.

Shaking his head slightly, the tiefling’s horn jewellery jingles gently as he pulls Caleb out of the plush armchair, his husband not allowing the manhandling rather willingly and standing up. With Caleb finally up Mollymauk lets out a lilting hum and replies. “I don’t remember you saying that at the hospital in Zadash, not very accurate of you.” 

After a sweeping motion with the book-filled hand and a few muttered words, _The Tales of Nein_ floats smoothly to the bookshelf and delicately situates itself back in its rightful place. Right hand now free Caleb cups the tiefling’s face and tenderly rubs the pad of his thumb over a smile wrinkle. He misses adventuring together sometimes, but he cannot deny retirement with Mollymauk has been oh so much sweeter and filled with much less near-death experiences. “You had fun did you not? That is all that matters.” He mutters before leaning in for a sweet and slow kiss, long gone is the franticness of clashing teeth of hidden kisses on the road, replaced with displays of affection that can take all the time in the world, neither caring who sees. 

Smiling into the kiss his husband pulls back an inch, pressing their foreheads together. “Can’t deny that, though, sleeping would be very fun right now.” 

Caleb steals another kiss before replying with an exaggerated sincerity. “Of course, schatz, how cruel of a husband I am to make you wait so long, lead the way.” 

Frumpkin, as if on cue, wakes as his wizard is led out of the study by the rather eager tiefling. With a stretch, the familiar stands and quickly makes a nuisance of himself by curling around the couple’s feet. Caleb, steps over both the threshold of the study and Frumpkin with a practised ease that speaks of decades of experience with bothersome cats. As he closes the door the fire extinguishes within the fireplace from an unnatural and unseen source, leaving the study in darkness until tomorrow night, when the couple’s routine is repeated once more. 


End file.
